Innovation in Technology-Based Flexible Learning: Dentaltec,a case study

The DentalTec project at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) was funded by a BT University Development Award between 1998 and 2000. The project was intended to lever change in technology and pedagogy in the teaching of Dental Technology, using emerging video and web approaches. The methods established by the project are still in use and are subject to ongoing development work--to that extent the project was a success, and those successes are discussed. However, key stakeholders to the project (educational development staff and subject leaders) concluded that the project had only limited impact where more had been expected. Drawing upon the Latchem and Hanna and the Collis and Moonen articles in this edition, this article reflects on the reasons for the successes and limitations of the DentalTec project.     

TELEVISION CODES AND AUDIENCE RESPONSE

A set of practical exercises is reported, used with students in illustration of the unconscious biases of TV presentation techniques upon the viewer. The development of media studies work of this type is discussed, and its outcome for the students is illustrated by extracts from their written reports. The article is intended primarily for teachers of media and television studies, exemplifying an experimental approach made possible by the use of simple video equipment at various levels of education.     

Active learning: A small group histology laboratory exercise in a whole class setting utilizing virtual slides and peer education

Histology laboratory instruction is moving away from the sole use of the traditional combination of light microscopes and glass slides in favor of virtual microscopy and virtual slides. At the same time, medical curricula are changing so as to reduce scheduled time for basic science instruction as well as focusing on student‐centered learning approaches such as small group active learning and peer‐instruction. It is important that medical schools resist the temptation to respond to this conjunction of events by turning histology into a self‐study activity. This article describes a lymphoid histology laboratory exercise, occurring in a specially equipped Learning Studio housing an entire medical class that utilizes virtual slides in the context of small group active learning and peer instruction. Anat Sci Educ © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

An eight‐year study of online lecture use in a medical gross anatomy and embryology course

Online lectures have been used in lieu of live lectures in our gross anatomy and embryology course for the past eight years. We examined patterns of online lecture use by our students and related that use to academic entry measures, gender and examination performance. Detailed access records identified by student were available from server logs. Total views per page of lecture material increased over the first six years, then decreased markedly between years seven and eight, possibly due to the recent availability of alternate forms of lecture audio. Lecture use peaked in midafternoon and again in the evening, although some use was seen at all hours. Usage was highest at midweek and lowest on Fridays as might be expected. Individual student's use varied widely from rates equivalent to less than one viewing/page to more than three viewings per page. Overall use by male students was greater than that of females and gender‐specific differences in the daily pattern were seen. Lecture use was correlated to the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) Verbal Reasoning and Physical Sciences scores but not to composite MCAT scores or undergraduate grade point average. Overall use appeared to be driven by scheduled team‐based learning (TBL) sessions and major examinations. Specific subsets of lecture material were most often viewed before related TBL sessions and again during review for examinations. A small but significant correlation between lecture use and examination and course performance was seen, specifically in the male student population. These findings, along with earlier observations, suggest that varied use of online lectures is attributable to multiple factors. Anat Sci Educ © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Disparity in practice: diverse strategies among teachers implementing interactive whiteboards into teaching practice in two Swedish primary schools

This paper reports on a project aimed at identifying and exploring the development and implementation processes of teaching practices with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in two Swedish K-6 schools. The purpose of the project was to generate results and insights of value when preparing student teachers for professional use of IWBs and to give school leaders guidelines when implementing IWBs. A range of methods were used to collect rich and varied empirical materials in this exploratory project. Judging from our data, it was obvious that the implementation process of IWBs, just like other information and communication technology initiatives, is very technology-oriented, but also dependent on attitudes. Over the course of time in the project, different strategies emerged among the teachers regarding whether and how they used the IWBs in their lectures. It also became increasingly clear during the study that there is a distinction between technical interactivity and pedagogical interactivity. Our results further suggest that training is needed when introducing these boards for future users. This training should include both technical instructions and pedagogical discussions.     

Argumentation-Based Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (ABCSCL): A synthesis of 15 years of research

Learning to argue is an essential objective in education; and online environments have been found to support the sharing, constructing, and representing of arguments in multiple formats for what has been termed Argumentation-Based Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (ABCSCL). The purpose of this review is to give an overview of research in the field of ABCSCL and to synthesize the findings. For this review, 108 publications (89 empirical studies and 19 conceptual papers) on ABCSCL research dating from 1995 through 2011 were studied to highlight the foci of the past 15 years. Building on Biggs’ (2003) model, the ABCSCL publications were systematically categorized with respect to student prerequisites, learning environment, processes, and outcomes. Based on the quantitative and qualitative findings, this paper concludes that ABCSCL environments should be designed in a systematic way that takes the variety of specific conditions for learning into account. It also offers suggestions for educational practice and future research.